Is Your Must-Haves Grocery List Costing You Money?

Supermarket (photo credit: Wikipedia)

More than a decade ago, I realized how much food (and money) I wasted regularly because the items were unused or barely used by the expiration dates. So into the trash can went whole gallons of unopened milk or loaves of bread. I felt wasteful and irritated I was throwing away money.

I was pruning my closets and cleaning my refrigerator one day when it hit me. I looked at the amount of stuff, much of which I didn't use or had forgotten I had, that surrounded me. It was an epiphany -- truly. I was barely aware I was purchasing so much food routinely without thought or question. I just "thought" I needed to buy those items each time I did the monthly grocery shopping, which was when I purchased just about everything during one trip.

I put "thought" in quotation marks because there really was little thinking occurring. I was shopping by conditioning.
You ask, "What is shopping by conditioning?"
It is shopping by habit, which is to say we buy things we have been taught and/or told we need or must have in our cabinets and refrigerators without question or re-evaluation.
Are you nodding your heads in agreement, acknowledging that insanity?

Well, we all do it. But what will you do about it once you are aware? Years ago, I stopped purchasing milk, bread and eggs unless I had specific plans for using them. I would buy the smallest sizes available such as a quarter of milk or a half dozen eggs when I did. I applied this pruning tactic to every food item I purchased. Through refining this process, I discovered and developed MY "must-haves" in my kitchen. It is a quarter of the size of what I had prior to the eye-opening exercise.

I've maintained that awareness since then and evaluated my must-haves list with each life stage or major life event. Several factors, including the recession and a return to gardening, have heightened my awareness even more. So imagine my surprise when I discovered "extras" while cleaning my refrigerator. They were primarily condiments: jar of peppers, deli mustard, etc. Ka-ching, the universal sound for spending came to mind. Though minor, those extras are reminders must-haves lists have to be refined often. And so I will.

Create A Must-Haves List 
There are various ways you can create a must-haves grocery list. Here are a few:

*What I did: I examined my refrigerator and cabinets, taking note of what's there and what's not. I also noticed how long items had been in either. Using a process of elimination and assessing my true eating/cooking habits, I established my list. Things I use infrequently I only buy when I'm going to use them.

Other Options:
*Look through your refrigerator and cabinets, noting the items you are out of and those that remain but are unused or rarely used. Your observations will help form the list.

*Make a list of the items you use frequently: milk, butter, bread, etc. Keep it simple. This is your initial list. Confirm or refine it over the next 30 days as you shop, cook and eat.

*Make a list of the items you use infrequently and make a list of the items you rarely use. Check your cabinets and refrigerator for these items. Move this to your buy-as-needed list, meaning you'll purchase the day you plan to use the item.

Let me know how this works for you.

Test Your Knowledge of Italian Food Terms

A selection of delicious Italian foods

Shouldn't you know, at least, a few of the terms used for your favorite foods?
I think so. That's why I'm sharing with fellow lovers of Italian food this nifty article with easy-to-remember words and phrases whether you speak Italian or not.
 
I love good food no matter its origins. But Italian food is just one of my favorites. I absolutely love seafood and Asian dishes. I'm smiling now as I think of the dishes I plan to cook tonight using my wok.

The article has inspired a future "listicle" posting: Terms Everyone Who Steps Into A Kitchen Needs To Know. Hmm, that will be fun to write as well as educational. Look for the post soon. And if you have any suggestions for what to add to the listicle, a list crafted into an article, post a comment or send me a note.